Forum Discussion

mpfireman's avatar
mpfireman
Explorer
Dec 16, 2014

Camping? When did you start.

When you were introduced to the camping lifestyle, was that first experience in your back yard, a KOA type park, Other types of private camps, or State, Federal or Local facilities.
When we as a family, ( there were 8 of us) started camping it was in State parks, and for the most part of these past 50 plus years, it still is our FIRST choice when we hit the road. There are probably 5 states that we have not camped in over these many years, mainly along the East coast. Our last long trip was out West and covered over 7,000 miles, covering 13 States, as we camped in 12 National parks.

48 Replies

  • RoyB's avatar
    RoyB
    Explorer II
    We started out tent camping in the mid 60's when living in North Texas. Really got into tent camping big time in the late 60s and early 70 while living in Arizona. Nothing better than waking up in the morning with the sun hitting the red rock mtns around Sedona AZ.

    Did alot of tent camping along the BLue Ridge Parkway and local tent camping here in Virginia in the late 1970s to 2008. Although we still love and do tent camping really got started in OFF-ROAD Camping with our present OFF-ROAD POPUP camper in 2008 to present time.

    We have camped all over the the south along the east Coast and down in the Gulf and as far west as Texas and Okla...

    Camper for life i reckon...

    Roy and Carolyn...
  • Tent camping in the Canadian wilderness on fishing trips as a teen. Picked it up again when our daughter was less than a year old (never understood why folks feel they can't tent with little ones!). She's 30 now and soon to be married. She still loves tenting and so does he.
  • Tents - Stephen's Grove, Miranda, CA. Family went there every summer in the 50's. During college, backpacking on the Muir trail in the west and the Appalachian trail in the east. After a big gap moved to a MH and now a FW in retirement.
  • Vacation Bible School.....church had a campground in local mtns. 2 weeks in tents.
    Then Cub Scouts
  • When I was six years old. In an big canvas tent. My Dad and Mom would take us kids out to State and National Parks for summer vacation.
  • My dad had an older army tent that he occasionally used when going hunting. He would set it up in the back yard to air out a few days before using it. We kids,would camp in it and use it day and night until he left. Never camped again until I went tent camping with my DH about 20 years ago and now we are fulltimers in a motorhome.
  • I started tent camping with my family in the Adirondacks in 1942, about 9 months before I was born. I switched from tents to motorized campers and TT's in the late 60's after leaving the Army. My wife and I currently spend about 10 months a year living in our motorhome, and the rest of the time in our southern Adirondack lakeside cottage.

About RV Tips & Tricks

Looking for advice before your next adventure? Look no further.25,164 PostsLatest Activity: Sep 17, 2025